Sounds good, Rep. Yoder. Let's do it.
House Republicans took the stage in the Cannon House Office building to demand, at an event organized by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and Stand Up To Cancer, that the federal government step in and aggressively fund the effort to
find a cure for this disease.
"Why aren't we spending $60 billion in NIH research?" said [Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-Kansas)]. "Honestly. I'm not a big fan of deficit spending. I'm not a big fan of deficits. Certainly, as a conservative Republican, I believe the fiscal health of our nation is one of the most critical issues long term. But I think I can go to my 16-month old daughter and I can say, 'I borrowed money in your name to cure cancer' and she would thank me."
The audience gave a standing ovation. Oh, and Rep. Matt Salmon told how he had shaved his head to honor a cancer victim.
The kicker:
But there are no additional funds devoted to the NIH by the House GOP. Instead, the budget calls for cutting down "bureaucracy and red-tape." Moreover, House Republicans dramatically diminish the pool of resources from which NIH and other government agencies must draw. Under the GOP blueprint, non-defense discretionary spending falls $44 billion below current budget caps in fiscal year 2017. In fiscal 2018, it would be $64 billion below those caps. In fiscal 2019, it would be $72 billion lower.
Well, at least on one day in one room someone pretended to give a damn. It made the people in the room happy.